Building unit and construction made therefrom



Feb- 5, 1935- P. RUTTEN 1,990,001

BUILDING UNIT AND CONSTRUCTION MADE THEREFROM Filed Feb. 1, 1933 /1/3 IW/U'eW/or j; j; @MMU Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNiTsED STATE-s' BUILDING UNIT AND CONSTRUCTION n MADE THEREFROMA Peter JRutten,

Osakis, Minn.

VApplication AFebruary 1, 1933, :Serial No. 654,630

5 Claims.

This invention relates to building units and building constructions made therefrom. vMore specifically, the invention relates to floor constructions used in buildings.

5 It is one of the main `objects of this invention to provide a novel andv improved oor construc.

tion, which can be laid up as a building is erected to form a floor composed chiefly of masonry without necessitating the use of supported form l boards or other temporary forms.

It is another object to provide such a floor con# struction,`which can be erected by use of concreteV and precast` building units formed of plastic -material Vand vpreferably formed chiefly from conl 1 crete. i

It is still another object to provide novel and improved building units of precast plasticconstruction, which can beutilized in building the iloor of the invention.v The objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the' accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the various views, and, in which, A

Fig. 1 isa perspective View` illustrating a portion of Aa. floor of a building constructed in` accord-4 ance with my invention;` f

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating one of` the blocks used in building the floor shown in Fig,1; l. p;

' Fig. 3.. is a perspective viewof one of the rails used vin the floor shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is avertical section taken through a beam of a different type thanthat shown in` Fig. 1, said beam supporting certain parts of a floor; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating yet another type of beam that maybe used.

In setting up a. flooring, built in accordance 10 with the present invention, I use certain precast building units o-f peculiar construction. These different precast building units will now be described. i I provide a number of long rails A which are 4 of substantially the same shape as ordinaryrailroad rails. Each rail A is of T-shape in ver-- tical cross section, and it includes'a pair 'of voppositely disposed horizontal flanges 8 and a 'vertical web 9 of substantially rectangular shape 'in cross section at*- its portion rremote from the flanges 8 and having concave side portions intermediate the rectangular portion and the flanges- 8. Each rail A is formed of precast concrete `suitably reinforced by reinforcing rods 10 andbowshaped hangers orA cross reinforcing rods 11.

Preferably, one of the reinforcing rods 10 is located in the portion of the web 9 of rectangularU shape in cross section, while two reinforcing rods 10 are buried within the flanges 8 respectively and another reinforcing rod 10 is buried in the portion` of the rail where the web 9 joins the two horizontal ilanges 8. The bow-shaped hangers or cross reinforcing rodsll overlie the last mentioned reinforcing rod 10 and underlie the two rev inforcing rods buried in the flanges 8. The rails A may be made of any suitable length and height, depending on the requirements of the particular oor to be laid. n i

I` also provide a'number of blocks B of precast plastic material. These blocks are preferably concrete blocks, although tile blocks, cinder blocks, gypsum blocks or the like may beused if desired. Each block B is of general rectangular shape in vertical cross section and includes top and bottom and side exterior walls l2, which formvr the shell of the block. Longitudinal rabbets 13 are formed at the lower edges of the block'and these rabbets are of suicient depth to receive the horizontal flanges 8 of the rails A.' A verfy tical internal web 14 runs between the central portions of the top and bottom walls of the block B and diagonal internal webs 15 join the longi-` tudinal central portion of the top wall of each block and extend downwardly to join that portion of the block formed by the junctures ofthe bottom wall with the side walls. The three webs 14 and 15 together form aV truss or brace for the blockB imparting thereto great strength for carrying loads.

Other precast building units that are sometimes used in laying up a floor, in accordance with the invention,are concrete'angle members C of L- shape in vertical cross section. These angle members C are made in rights and lefts and are generally provided with horizontal flanges of shorte-r length than their vertical flanges.

I also sometimes use precast concrete building units D formed exactly the same as the rails A,

but of smaller size than the rails A.

Occasionally I use a rail E, which is identically of the same construction as the rails A with one of the horizontal flanges 8 eliminated.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, there is shown .a door set up in a portion of a building in accordance with my invention. One of the end walls of the building is designated by the numeral 16 and this end wall is provided with a step or ledge 17. There is also shown a side wall 18 of the building. In setting up the flooring, trans-l verse beams 19 are first laid at spaced intervals CII longitudinally of the building between the side walls 18. Although different types of beams may be used, in Fig. 1 there is illustrated a beam constructed chiefly from my precast building units C and D. In forming this beam 19, right and left hand concrete angle members C are disposed in facing relation with the horizontal langes of the angle members spaced apart a distance cor- 'responding` to` the width of thebuilding unit D whereupon the horizontal ilanges of the unitD are located intermediate the horizontal flanges of the angle members C in abutment therewith. The ends of the three units C and D maybe suitother desired manner. units C and D of each beam are in place, reinforcing rods 21 may be laid within' thetrough' formed by the units, whereupon the trough mayxbev filledM with concrete 22 flush with the tops or" the angle members C and the concrete may. be allowed to harden. The beam 19t accordinglyy can be made.

without'iuseof form boardson the job.

After. theA beamstlQ. are in place, a number of the. railsAare placed in spaced parallellrelation to extend longitudinally. of the building and restV onthe beams 19A and theV shelves 17 of the end walls.y

will. restat bothA ends on beams 19.

the.l blocksfB with: portions offthe` angesiS. ofthe railsreceived Within the rabbets 13 :ofthe blocks:

Thefblocks Bare laid in place in longitudinal par;-

allel rows', respective adjacent. blocks.- of' the. dif^`- ferenttrows being. placed'.` .Withtheirf ends inxabuti ment: as shown. If'y the spacing between .the two sidewalls 18.0f thebuildingis. somewhat greater or: less-'I than. anueven multiplee ofi the` center to`l center spacing between adjacent. railsA, addi-` tional. rails A: or: rails.. E,..as illustrated, mayT bei used to llup: the.' space between the. sidewalls 181and tlreblockcarrying rails A adjacent: thereto..

After the. rails and. blocks.. hayef been.4 laid,. as; above described, concrete.- 23.r is.l poured; between. thef'side wallsof the; blocksI B.. andztheevertical. Webs.- 92:0f1the: rails andif it is'desiredto apply. a wooden flooring. over the masonry.` flooring,l wooden sleepers21l may be inserted .withinthey concrete 23,v to lie lushiwithi the top. walls of theblocksB andthe. upper edgesof the rails 8. f' course, if any rails E are used, or ifanyl extra.t

railsnAl are used, to ll the gap. betweenI a1. side wall.18' andfanadjacent block carrying rail. Ag, the space betweenthevertical webs of these additional rails will also/be lledwith concrete 23 and, if desired, sleepers.` may be inserted in this concrete;. It' it is..desired to lay axwoodenf flooring; over the masonry, the flooring 251may beilaid. and

thisilooring may be naileddirectly to the sleeper 24. over the masonry iloor above described, the sleepers 24 .need not. beV usedtand: the concrete iloorxniaybe applied directly over the rails A-,.

block B andxconcrete 23.

It.V should be noted that by use of my precast buildingfunits. A andLB, themasonry floor, above described, can be laidwithout use of form boards and without use of supports of any kind. It shoulda-lso be-noted-that thebottoms of Atherails A lieflush with the bottoms of the blocks B after the masonry'iloorihas been'laid and, accordingly,

ceiling. plaster; may be applied: directly to the Of course, when a iloor of anyconsideri-` able length is being laid, certain ofi the rails A. The rails A. are, of course, laid with the flanges downward' and-.the webs.9 projecting. upwardly. The rails are so spaced as to receive between. adjacent'ra'ils...

Of; course, if.' a concrete flooring. is desired bottoms of the rails A and blocks B without necessitating the use of lathing of any type. The diagonal webs 15 of the blocks act to transmit loads imposed upon the blocks to the flanges 8 of the rails, while the Vertical webs 14 of the blocks brace and strengthen the diagonal webs l5, as well as to support the top walls of the blocks. An exceedingly strong and durable floor islthus" provided. This ilocr is 'entirely' fire proof except for` anywoo'den ooring25lthat`may'be laid over the same and except for the sleepers 24 if thewooden flooring 25 is used.

Instead of the beam 19 illustrated in Fig. 1, a beam-.26;l similar-to that shown in Fig. 5, may be us'ed.' The beam 26 is formed by two of the angle members laid with their horizontal flanges in abutment, reinforcing rods 21 disposed within the trouglr'thusformed and concrete 27 poured within the trough..- If it is desired to tie the beams directly into the masonry of the floor, beams of the type shown inzFig. 4 anddesignated. by the num eral..28, mayfibe `used.` When the: bearns28.l are used, twoiwof the: angle members C and one. ofthe precast units D are provided. foneach beanrand locatedVv aszin: ther case;y of beam 19. toV form a trough;v Reinforcing'. rods: 21 arev then placed.

within. this troughrwhereuponxtheirails A and blocks Bf.a,-rer'laid::in.such mannerthaty certain of.

the: ends. offithe? rails and.' ends .of certain". blocks i B rest on the vertica'lflanges'of the'angle members C 'withaai space provided between therails. and blocks; resting: oni; one;v off. theV angle: members C andi-.thea rails: .and;blocksf restingl oir/theI other of the.; angle.- members* Cl. Building; paper or' the like is then used to close the facing end openings in'gthefblocks'Bl'spacedl-from each other; whereupon concreter29zis-poured into the trough-.formed by' the'fbuilding; units -C` and D landlailso. into the space between spaced ends of..the-railsAand'be-v tween the ends-of:adjacent. blocks B- resting: on the angle.- members C. With. thisi construction,

after` the/concrete 29fhas; set andwhardened, the

beam: 23` formsfan integralupartl of1 themasonry oor. i

By reason ofthe -fact that nofformzboards or bracing yneed berused: inerecting, the floors` of. the present.invent-ion; the floorscan'be'laid'with a minimum of labor, time andexpense; The' floor can Vbe almost'immediately: used to carry on :further building-operations without necessitating a Wait period for concrete to set.

Although. Variousprecastbuilding units are particularly adapted for use-,inf connection with floon constructions,l they; are capable of being used in many: otherfways in building, operations.

It will,.of1course;v befiunderstoodthat various changesmaycbe made :inthe form, details, arrangementandproportions ofthe Various parts and inybuilding' constructionsv madev from the Various.- building@ units; without departing from the scope of: the `present invention, which; gen-V erallys. stated,. consists inthe mattershow-n yand described and set forth in the appended claims.

Wh'atsis claimed isz- .1; A-rloorconstruction comprising a-'plurality of spaced pa rallel...rails. ofi inverted T-shape inv cross section, a plurality' ofV blocks disposed'between the-rails.- inI abutting lines and i resting; on. the flanges of the rails, saidblocksz being. rabbeted atf their lower bottomedges to vreceive the rail flanges; saidblocks eachfincluding bottom, top and sidewallsrunning; parallel to the rails and internal=webs forming. trussed bracing for the blocks;v the sidesy of. said blocks'being. spaced somewhat fromtheeadjacent portions of-.the,rails concrete substantially lling the spaces between the side walls of the blocks and the adjacent portions of the rails, sleepers embedded in the concrete and wooden flooring nailed to said sleepers.

2. A re proof building construction comprising retaining walls, transverse beams running between and supported by a pair of opposite retaining walls, each beam comprising a pair of opposed precast concrete angle members having lower horizontal iianges disposed in spaced parallel relation, a rail of inverted T-shape in cross section having horizontal flanges in abutment. with the opposed horizontal flanges of the angle members to form with the angle members, a trough, a plurality of longitudinal spaced rails of inverted T-shape in cross `section supported by said beams and the remaining retaining walls and terminating at certain of their ends over the' beams in spaced relation, blocks disposed between and supported by said rails in longitudinal abutting lines, the lines being broken above certain of said beams and concrete rllling the troughs of said beams and lling the spaces between the spaced ends of alined rails and the broken lines of blocks. f

3. A building construction comprising a plurality of spaced parallel rails of inverted T-shape in cross section, each rail having a central upstanding web and outwardly .extending bottom flanges joining the same, a plurality of blocks disposed between and resting on the bottom flanges of the rails, said blocks being rabbeted at their lower bottom edges to receive the outer portions of the bottom flanges of the rails, said rabbets being of less width than the said bottom flanges to space the upstanding central webs of the rails from the side walls of adjacent blocks and concrete received within and lling said spaces and bonding rails and blocks together.

4. A building construction comprising a plurality of spaced parallel rails of inverted T-shape in cross section, each rail having a central upstanding web with channels formed in its sides and each rail also having bottom flanges joining the lower end of the central web, a plurality of blocks disposed between and resting on the bottom flanges of the rails, said blocks being rabbeted at their lower bottom edges to receive the outer portions of the bottom flanges of the rails, said rabbets being of less width than the said bottom flanges to space the upstanding central web ofthe rails from the side walls of adjacent blocks and concrete yreceived within and filling said spaces and channels and bonding and locking the rails and blocks together.

5. The structure deiined in claim 3 and sleepers embedded in the concrete and having upper surfaces `lying flush with the upper edges of said rails.

PETER RU'I'IEN. 

